Quinoa “Mac and Cheese” with Spinach

byCuceeonJanuary 19, 2011

Soul Food

Quinoa meets Mac ‘n’ Cheese.It is time for another Cucee confession: I love Mac and Cheese. An image of this warm comfort food on my plate takes me back to my childhood… I can just see myself on a chilly winter afternoon, coming home from school to a feel-good plate of creamy pasta and a big hug from my mom.

My kids seem to have inherited my affinity for Mac and Cheese. Their favorite recipe is the one I adapted a few years ago, which is a healthier variation of the one I loved as a kid.

Last week, while browsing my recipe collection, I stumbled upon Cheesy Quinoa and Spinach, a simple recipe that I had been considering for a while. As I presented “Quinoa ‘n’ Cheese” to the family, my kids wiggled their little noses (apparently, they did not expect spinach in their Mac and Cheese!) They changed their minds after the first byte; my daughter even asked for seconds. Twice. And then, asked for an encore a few days later.

Cheesy Quinoa and Spinach, a quick recipe to throw together on a weeknight, got our unanimous vote for being the best “Mac and Cheese” so far! And even though the original is likely to continue making it’s way onto my kids dinner plates (mainly when they have their friends over) this new healthier variation will definitely become my frequent dinner option.

Quinoa is one of my favorites, up there with pasta. The dish looks beautiful. When I made this (had a little head start with the recipe) I did it times 8 (octupled it???) so I added almost eight times the oil and garlic which is ALOT of oil and garlic. The dish tasted great but I think it was a bit too rich. I wouldn’t add nearly as much oil the next time and put more spinach in than the recipe calls for. But I will definitely make it again and my friend, who tried it, asked for the recipe:)))) The goat gouda tasted great in it. Yum.

Just made this tonight – found it thanks to thekitchn.com and have to say it was absolutely delicious. I swapped in some chopped almonds since those were the nuts I had on hand and can guarantee this will most certainly become a dinner staple. Looking forward to exploring the other goods on the site.

Hello Vampire fighter…. 8 cloves of garlic! Is that a typo? Maybe it depends on the size of your the cloves. I might add adjust accordantly if you plan on being around anyone or if you want to taste anything besides the garlic.
I found my Goat Gouda at Trader Joes.
Thanks for the recipe. Adding it to my pasta free rotation.

First of all, this recipe is fantastic!! This is the second time I have made it and it’s one of my new favorite lunches. Love it!! I use cheddar sometimes (since i always have it around!) and that is super tasty too.

I am currently working on a cookbook compilation of recipes that are free of processed grains and sugars. I was wondering if I might be able to add this (or a slight variation of it) to this compilation. I wouldn’t be selling it, it would be free on my blog. I am a Pampered Chef consultant and figuring out recipes that I can eat at parties has been tricky, so I am putting together a big “cookbook” of recipes I find that i love. Please let me know if it is okay with you! You will get 100% credit. Thank you!